


A Stand

by Marzi



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, a lil bit of angst with a lot of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 12:31:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18638176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marzi/pseuds/Marzi
Summary: "Missy...." He brushed his fingers against her cheek, hoping she would feel that rather than the rough bark on the other side of her face.She smiled at him. "Say something nice?""No." It wasn't quite directed at her, but the whole state of the world around them. He wouldn't do this again, not when things were finally changing. "You get hope instead. It's a whole lot worse." And he kissed her.





	A Stand

Pain and exhaustion slowed the world to a murky smear, then some stubborn cells burst with regeneration energy, and suddenly everything was too fast, too vibrant, and the Doctor couldn't stop running. He had lost Bill somewhere in the smoke and fire near the farmhouse.  
  
Missy was still at his side.  
  
Somehow.  
  
Thankfully.  
  
Finally.  
  
She had walked away from him, and then miraculously, had come back. Her past had no longer been trotting around, tugging her this way and that. He had been standing on the porch when he finally caught sight of her again. She had simply stared up at him, hands resting on her umbrella, which was planted firmly in the ground in front of her. He hadn't had a chance to say anything before the army burst up from the lower floors.  
  
She had seemed to react slowly to the attack, but that might have just been the burst of light across his skin that made him jump a little too readily into the fray. For a while her laughter had been echoing around him at each new explosion. From the destruction, the danger, or the delight of them finally standing on the same side again after all these years, he wasn't sure. It had faded into the chaotic noise of metal joints, mechanical war cries, and the desperate need to breathe despite all the smoke.  
  
His body was so determined to finish tearing itself apart, that he didn't feel the laser blast. Not really. Missy had clearly seen it, if the localized retaliatory explosion was anything to go by. The shrapnel from the destroyed cyberman was almost as dangerous as its own attack. The Doctor stumbled into a turn, wanting to see her. There weren't stars but there was them, and wasn't that it's own kind of spectacular? He turned just in time to see her crumbling to the ground, umbrella falling from her grasp. They were surrounded, and he wasn't the only one in the cross-hairs.  
  
He hadn't lost his screwdriver yet, and there was too much noise and too much ringing in his ears, but he was certain she was laughing again. Perhaps it was because of everything he thought of before, and perhaps it was because she knew what was about to happen.  
  
The floor of the ship, artificial earth and all, visibly buckled as he set off the last chain reaction. The Doctor hoped Bill was still making her stand, and fell down right beside Missy.  
  
The air was swallowed in the heat, but not long enough to suffocate him. The fire licked across his skin, and he curled around Missy to keep the flames from her as best he could. He'd seen fire take his friend before, and he wasn't about to watch it happen again. The concussive wave sent them across the dirt until they were stopped by a tree, and the Doctor marveled at his continued consciousness. The light that was desperate to burn up through his cells wouldn't let him rest, not while he forced it back.  
  
Ash settled on his cheek as he opened his eyes, and the acrid taste of metal and refined fuel clung heavy to the air.  
  
"And you used to complain that I had a flair for the dramatics." Her voice was husky, either from barely holding to consciousness, or the smoke.  
  
It was likely a contest they were tied on, but he didn't want that to be the last thing they agreed on. They had just stood together against the cybermen, they should be celebrating. He kept one arm around her while he pulled himself up against the tree that had so obliging halted them, and his fingers brushed against something metal at her back. He knew it wasn't shrapnel, for it was under her coat and not piercing through it. She nearly pulled him back down as she hauled herself up next to him, resting bodily against the tree.  
  
Something heavier than ash hung on his tongue when he spoke. "Missy, what's wrong with your legs?"  
  
One hand was neatly gripping his lapel, the other patter his chest. "Oh, it's just because of something little round face said."  
  
"And what would that be?"  
  
"We'll never stand with the Doctor."  
  
"Your spine is..."  
  
"My whole nervous system is burning out. I just happen to be older and wiser, and know how to jury-rig a way around that silly laser screwdriver."  
  
She would have been controlling her legs remotely, likely through the umbrella. She had kept up with him, while he'd run through the army. She couldn't feel anything or react without a great delay and she still kept up with him. The hand clutching at his jacket was loosening, and now he knew it was because her body was shutting down. She wouldn't be able to feel, let alone control her fingers in a moment.  
  
"Missy...." He brushed his fingers against her cheek, hoping she would feel that rather than the rough bark on the other side of her face.  
  
She smiled at him. "Say something nice?"  
  
"No." It wasn't quite directed at her, but the whole state of the world around them. He wouldn't do this again, not when things were finally changing. "You get hope instead. It's a whole lot worse." And he kissed her.  
  
Her expression was soft, eyes half-lidded until she realized what he was doing. Her fingers dug into his chest through his coat, and he knew it was already too late for her to refuse the gift he was giving. His body had been hanging by a thread for so long, it was easy to finally let it snap, to let that rush of vitality flow past him, to her. Whatever her past self had done to her, she hadn't been left with the power to repair it, but he could help.  
  
"Doctor!"  
  
He slumped forward into Missy's arms, uncertain why he was hearing Bill's voice.  


* * *

  
  
The world was smeary and slow and too bright. The Doctor's fingers twitched and the he bolted upright.  
  
"No." He checked his hands. They seemed the same. The cuffs of his coat were frayed and dirty, but that wasn't surprising. "No," he repeated, trying to catch the sound of his voice in his own ears. He still sounded Scottish.  
  
An open palmed smack caught him in the cheek and almost spun his head around his body.  
  
"Are you awake?"  
  
The world was sideways and smeary for a completely different moment until he reoriented himself. "You know you really shouldn't do that, could do more damage than good with a head injury." Had he even hit his head? "And I was sitting up! Of course I'm awake."  
  
"Might've been sleepwalking, just checking." Missy stood over him, one hand resting on the TARDIS console.  
  
She didn't offer him any help as he scrambled up to his feet. "We're back in the TARDIS. How?" He blinked, and reached out to her shoulders. Her head tilted to the side curiously, and then he quickly spun her around. One hand on her shoulder, he let the other drift down the bevel of her spine, finding no protrusions. Her scoff of objection to his manhandling died in her throat as his touch lingered.  
  
"Do you two need to be alone?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The Doctor ignored Missy's response, straining his neck once again as he turned too fast. "Bill?" She was standing up, which was less of an accomplishment than it was with Missy, but the fact it was Bill and not a cyberman was remarkable. "How...."  
  
She smiled and shrugged. "I've got a friend who stands by me too. Well, more than a friend."  
  
"Heather." He guessed. "Never underestimate a crush."  
  
Bill snorted. "You're one to talk. Dying for your man-crush."  
  
"I'm not dead." He pivoted on his heel so he could see both of them. "Why aren't I dead?"  
  
Missy looked at him in exasperation. "Because you're an idiot who doesn't know how to die properly."  
  
Bill rolled her eyes. "There was a lot of crying. Me. Even Heather." She hesitated before adding, "Missy."  
  
She examined her nails but didn't deny it. "And then I did something clever and now you're alive."  
  
"Snogs are clever now?" Bill crossed her arms, nearly smiling again.  
  
"You can't give it back, I kissed you first." The Doctor insisted.  
  
"Oh wow, okay." Bill just shook her head again.  
  
"Now, now," with one hand back on the console Missy leaned towards him. "There was plenty regeneration to go around."  
  
"I've hit my limit Missy," the words strained in his throat, and he felt himself growing hoarse from the effort of not yelling. "I've gone past it already."  
  
"So have I." Her tone was intense, but it quickly softened. "Come on, it'll be fun. And this time..."  
  
He swallowed to combat the sudden dryness in his mouth. "This time what?"  
  
She put a hand on his chest. "Well this time, we're sharing this life, aren't we?"  
  
He'd kept her nervous system from burning out and somehow she had kept him from burning up. Without an entire body to reorder, there apparently had been enough to go around. Both of them were past the number of regenerations a time lord was typically allowed, was it so strange that they managed to stretch that power even farther? He'd used his own regeneration energy for other things before, and River had given it up for him once, but one regeneration shared between two people? And they hadn't even changed? Not on the outside, at least. He gripped her hand on his chest, holding her closer to his hearts.

 

“I was kidding earlier, but now I really do feel like I should leave.”

 

Missy's hand dropped from his chest, though he kept their fingers linked, and they both turned to look at Bill. She waved at them, not looking that apologetic.

 

“You did ruin my date right before the whole monk thing, so I'm not even a little bit sorry.”

 

“This isn't a date.” The Doctor ran his free hand through his hair.

 

“Kissing, hand holding, seems like a date to me, but whatever.”

 

“Humans have such a limited, reproductive view of the world, don't they.” Missy didn't let go of his hand.

 

“It's ridiculous, I thought traveling with me opened your eyes to more of the universe. I'm... truth is I'm a little disappointed Bill.” He brushed his thumb over Missy's fingers.

 

“Uh huh. Well, I'm going out on a date. With my girlfriend. All of time and space, it's going to be great.” She started walking for the doors, and the Doctor took a step after her. Missy didn't prevent him from moving, but she didn't let go of him either.

 

“Bill, I-”

 

“It's okay Doctor. You tried to save me, and I'm thankful for that. I am.” Her smile dropped slowly. “Still really pissed that you got me killed, but...” She indicated to her body. “Someone had my back at least.”

 

He thought about trying to smile, but wasn't sure if he was happy or sad. His smiles didn't normally put people at ease anyway. “Well I guess... I'll be seeing you. All of time and space, bound to run into each other at some point.”

 

Missy finally pipped up. “I always find him, it's not that hard.”

 

Bill tilted her head. “You being nice. Not sure I'm ready for that.”

 

“Of course finding him isn't difficult for me, I'm a genius, it could take you a while. You're a puddle.”

 

“And there it is.” She shook her head, and then took a deep breath before she was smiling again. Bill walked backwards until she was against the TARDIS doors. “Take care of yourself, Doctor.” And then she was gone.

 

Missy squeezed his hand. “Are you going to get all mopey on my now?”

 

“No.” And he was surprised at the truth in that answer. He turned around and looked down at their clasped hands. “This is more than I hoped for.”

 

“Well according to you hope is awful, it's why I go for the things I want.”

 

He smiled. “This is what you want. Us, standing together.”

 

“You said you wanted it to.”

 

He lifted their laced fingers and kissed the back of her hand. “I do.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> -runs my hand through the fluff likes its wool and cotton candy-  
> I just want happy things right now thanks.


End file.
